Three challenges that face distance educators at the national, institute, and individual subject level in Australia are discussed in a set of Occasional Papers by the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education (RMIHE). Australia is undergoing a period of major change. The binary system of universities and colleges of advanced education is ending, and tertiary institutions are under pressure to amalgamate. Some providers of distance education are under threat. The search for ways to make distance education more attractive, effective, and efficient continues. Three papers on the subject are as follows: (1) "A Model for Cooperative Development of Resource Materials and Educational Courseware" (L.J. Barker and J.C. Taylor); (2) "Using Computer Based Communications to Reduce the Difficulties of Distance Education" (T.R. Frost); and (3) "The Introduction of External Master Degrees by Coursework at RMIHE" (D.W. Roberts). (SM)